Transmission system operators Enagás (Spain) – through its affiliate Enagás Infraestructuras de Hidrógeno (EIH), NaTran (formerly GRTgaz), and Teréga (France) have entered into a shareholders agreement to establish a joint venture for the development of BarMar, the renewable hydrogen pipeline between Barcelona, Spain, and Marseille, France, and a part of the European H2med project.
This new move, just a year after the signing of a joint development agreement (JDA) in June 2024, is said to increase the adoption of this component of the European Union’s first clean hydrogen corridor, which will account for 10% of Europe’s hydrogen consumption by about 2030.
As revealed, the ownership of the venture is allocated as such: EIH-Enagás owns 50%, NaTran has 33.3%, and Teréga owns 16.7%. It reportedly reflects the overall balance of the H2med project, which is divided equally between Spain and France at 50% each. Francisco Pablo de la Flor, from Enagás, has been appointed as the new entity’s CEO.
Arturo Gonzalo, CEO of Enagás, said: “The creation of this joint company embodies our collective commitment and determination to deliver this vital energy infrastructure for Europe. This marks the beginning of a new operational phase that will allow us to tackle the technical and regulatory challenges with an integrated team and a common goal: making H2med a reality.”
Sandrine Meunier, CEO of NaTran, commented: “This new joint company provides the necessary framework for the long-term development of the BarMar hydrogen pipeline, a key component of the H2med project. It also gives concrete form to cross-border cooperation in developing strategic energy infrastructure to decarbonize our industries. Based in France, the BarMar company is now a place where all partners’ expertise in hydrogen transport will converge to foster a new phase of Europe’s energy.”
Carolle Foissaud, CEO of Teréga, stated: “The announcement of the BarMar company anchors H2med at the heart of Europe’s energy sovereignty and enables the achievement of carbon neutrality goals. The European funding testifies to the confidence placed in our joint expertise. Along its partners, Teréga is fully mobilised to make this European clean hydrogen corridor a success for the decarbonisation of our industries and regions.”
Worth mentioning is the fact that the H2Med hydrogen project is a cross-border initiative that interconnects the hydrogen networks of the Iberian Peninsula with those of France, Germany, and the entire North-West Europe, allowing Europe to be supplied with low-cost, renewable hydrogen by 2030. It involves an interconnection of hydrogen between Portugal and Spain(CelZa) and a subsea pipeline connecting Spain and France (BarMar).
This milestone comes after the renewed European support for the project was confirmed only eight days ago in a meeting between the leaders of the companies involved in the H2med hydrogen project and the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission.
Moreover, it comes along with the recent grant agreement signings with the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) for projects BarMar and CelZa, which were offered 100% of the funding requested under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and covering 50% of the development costs.